In the prior art, a one-dimensional array of proximity sensors is not accurate enough to determine a two-dimensional location of a pointer within a two-dimensional plane extending from the array.
Laptop computers are typically available in touch screen and non-touch screen versions. It would be advantageous to enable consumers of non-touch screen laptops to enable touch screen functionality when desired. For example, it would be advantageous to enable swipe, pinch and rotate gestures when browsing images or checking a newsfeed. Another example is to enable touch screen functionality in specific situations, e.g., when using a laptop on a drop-down tray table that is so close to the user, it is more comfortable to use one's fingers to touch the screen than to use the laptop's built-in trackpad. It would also be advantageous to provide more intuitive user interfaces that track the user's focus of attention.